


The Candle

by Cuzo



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, F/F, Mystery, Paranormal, Sad with a Happy Ending, Suspense, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26590456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzo/pseuds/Cuzo
Summary: Emma finds an old candle at an antique shop that is said to keep her and Regina bound together. But after a tragic accident, would that still stand to be true? Established SwanQueen.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Wassup! Long time no see.**

**It's your friendly neighborhood Cuzo here, popping in with a quick mini story.**

**I actually found a highly detailed outline for this fic(from 2017...heh) and decided to go ahead and share it with you all**

**However, without telling the plot, there are a lot of trigger warnings!**

**Read at your own risk!**

**Seriously, this is probably one of my more twisted works. Either way, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**.

"Will you marry me?" Emma questioned timidly as she kneeled on one knee in the middle of the foyer inside the mayoral mansion. A circled crowd of guests watched on with baited breath for the answer. Standing in a fitted black dress with tears lacing the underside of her eyelids was Regina Mills, the woman Emma Swan had been dating for the past two years. Their relationship had started off rocky at first, but over time their affection for each other blossomed into a love neither one of them really thought existed. And now, the blonde didn't think she could live without her.

Regina stood quietly as she looked down at the ring sitting snug between black velvet folds on the bottom half of its case. It was truly beautiful. Was this really happening? Could her happy ending really be coming to fruition? It was something that had seemed so farfetched. So out of reach that the brunette thought it could only be required in a dream. Even now, standing there in front of Emma who had poured her heart out in the middle of a dinner party, it didn't seem real. But if this was going to be a dream or a realistic outward projection of her imagination; then she would relish in it.

"Yes," the brunette said lowly at first, causing the kneeling blonde to look up with perked eyebrows. It was so softly spoken that Regina wasn't even sure she said it aloud.

"Yes?" Emma clarified, a budding grin on her face blooming into a full blown smile when she caught the simple nod from her girlfriend. Elated, she removes the ring from the jewelry box and easily slides it over the tanned finger on Regina's left hand. Its then that she stands fully and pulls her new fiancée into a searing kiss. An eruption of applause settles around them but it sounded more like it was faded in the background due to the bubble of love that surround the couple. In this moment, nothing else mattered to them but each other.

However, their encased dome of affection only lasted a few minutes before the couple was greeted by a few of their guests. Eventually they were separated from each other as their prospective friends sprouted rounds of congratulatory statements.

As the night went on and people began to go home, the newly engaged couple found themselves alone in the large home they would soon be sharing permanently. Still clad in her party dress, Regina walked around her foyer to continue cleaning up the remnants of the impromptu get together. Though now, the silver diamond encrusted ring on her finger told her just what the subtext of that party was. She stared down at her hand again, admiring how with just a glance it increased her mood and a swarm of warm feelings enveloped her heart. This was it. This was what happiness felt like. And Emma was the one who had given it to her.

With a smile that Regina thought may be embedded into her features now for years to come, she continued to throw the empty trays of food away in the large open garbage bag she had in her hand. At least everything was disposable. Soon a second pair of footsteps could be heard and she turns her head to see the light of her life coming towards her. Brown eyes raked over Emma's form and her choice of a pant suit for the night. It really did compliment her figure. But before she could comment on it, her gaze fell to the large red candle between pale hands.

"Hey," Emma started with a grin and closing the remaining feet of distance between them. "I wanted to show you something I found at the old antique shop today."

"A candle?" Regina questions curiously. The tall cylinder form of wax looked like any other candle to her. She wasn't sure why it had seemed so special to the blonde but if that was what she was excited about, then she would oblige nonetheless.

Emma knew it may seem strange to bring something as simple as a candle home, but it was more of what it represented that spoke to her. Seeing the confusion on the brunette's face made Emma chuckle. She walked around the other woman and set the candle down on the mantle near the foyer. "It's a unity candle," she began to explain, "It's said that you're supposed to light it simultaneously with the person you love and it's supposed to like, keep you together forever."

"I see," it was sweet when she thought about it, classic Emma. "When did you find that?"

"A couple weeks ago. Around the time I bought the ring," for the first time tonight, Emma actually full on blushed. Truthfully, she had no idea whether Regina would say yes or not. But there was something about that candle she saw in the window that drew her to it like a moth to a flame. Though now, she's glad she bought it. "It's silly. I know."

A warm smile graces the mayors features and she shakes her head, "no, it's sweet. We can light it if you want."

"Yeah?" The blonde perked up then, "okay, I'll go get some matches." Emma is only gone for the better of a few minutes before she returns with a book of matches and a large grin. Her excitement was contagious and Regina found herself sporting her own 100-watt smile at the gesture. Together they move to stand in front of the candle, side by side. "It says we're supposed to hold the flame at the same time and tell each other 'I love you'."

"That seems simple enough. I suppose I've gotten used to saying it after all this time. One more couldn't hurt."

If Emma had any more room in her heart to love her fiancée, she just found it. "I love you," she says without any prompt of their task and steals a chaste kiss against plump red lips.

Regina returns it easily and pulls back with a chuckle, "I thought you were going to wait to light the candle to say that."

"I don't need a candle to make me tell you how I've already felt." Such a charmer.

"I love you too," the brunette returns with a smile that reaches amber hues.

"Now who's not following directions."

An eyeroll, "let's just light the candle."

As instructed, Emma removes one of the matches from the cardboard box and strikes it against the side until it lights. The flame dances along the red tip of the small wooden stick held between pale fingers. "Ready?"

Rather than respond, Regina nods and places her hand on top of Emma's to hold the match in tandem. Two sets of eyes watch the flame as they slowly move over the white wick of the red candle.

"One," Emma counted as she held the flame just out of reach and looked over to the woman she knew she didn't want to be without, "two," the match moves closer, "Three!" She said definitively as the fire finally transferred over to the white wick and settled.

"I love you," they stated simultaneously with every ounce of their being and wore equal expressions of adoration across their countenance. Their eyes couldn't seem to leave each other, only the flame that had inched its was down to the end of the match and burning the blonde's fingers, broke them from their gaze. "Ow," she yelped and quickly bought her fingers to her lips to suck on.

Regina quickly blows out the remaining heat and pulls at the blonde's hand, "are you okay?" She brings the slightly red fingers closer to her face to inspect and is glad to see that her soon to be wife didn't suffer any injuries. But to milk the moment just a touch, she brings the digits to her lips for a gentle kiss. "Is that better?"

A nod, "My hand's better, but I think the pain moved someplace else," and there came that mischievous grin.

Regina knew that look and easily played along, "is that so?"

"It's so. I think we should go upstairs for a full body inspection," the carnal desire soon glazed over emerald eyes as the blonde began to stalk forward.

Regina took a cautious step back with each forward one her fiancée made, "Now, Emma...we still have cleaning to do." But the blonde was hearing none of it and the mayor knew it. "Wait." She said abruptly with her hands up. Though once the other woman pauses, she ceases the chance for a head start up the stairs; squealing when the blonde catches up to her and whisks her off her feet.

* * *

The night of passion had lasted into the wee hours of the night and early morning. Both bodies lay exhausted, cuddled against each other for warmth as the rain puttering against the window sung them a lullaby. The room was dark sans the small amount of light coming from the muted tv and Emma's vibrating phone. It buzzed against the nightstand loudly and caused the blonde to wake from her slumber. With one eye open, she turns away from the comfortable spoon hold she was in and reaches behind her to see who it was. It took her a moment to recognize the number of the sheriff station and knew that if she was being called this late, something had to be wrong. "Yeah?" the blonde answered in a fatigued voice and listened intently. At the request coming from the other end, she looked over at her sleeping fiancée and then at the clock that read 2am. "Alright, I'll be there in twenty minutes." With a tired sigh she remains in bed for a bit longer before forcing herself to get up and get dressed.

The dip and lift of the mattress lightly rouse Regina from her sleep and she turns over to see the blonde getting dressed. "Emma?"

The former mentioned is just about to slide her jeans on when she hears a feminine voice and smiles, "hey, I didn't mean to wake you."

It's been years since the last time Emma has opted to leave her house in the middle of the night after lovemaking. Before it was meant to hide their budding feelings for each other, but now, "where are you going?"

"I have to handle something at the station. I'll be back in an hour. Go back to sleep," the warm smile could be seen even in the less than dimly lit room. Though it did nothing to assuage Regina's worries. Something just didn't seem right. There was a strong feeling in the pit of her stomach and she just wanted Emma to come back to bed.

"Can't it wait?"

"The alarm system went off again. It's probably just some kids. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Emma, it's raining."

The blonde looks over at the window as if she needed to confirm what her future wife was saying. She understood the concern, but this wasn't the first time she's done this, "I'll be fine." Now fully dressed, Emma walked over to Regina who was sitting up with a face full of worry. "I won't be gone longer than an hour. I promise." She tries to calm the brunette's apprehension with a sweet kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," she repeats, but for some reason, those four words left a heavy feeling in her heart as she watched Emma leave the room.

It stayed with her well into the night as she tossed and turned. Even in slumber her chest ached with warning and the unsettling tug at her subconscious eventually woke the brunette completely. Her brown eyes looked over at the digital clock which now read an hour and a half past the time Emma said she would be back. Perhaps if she called then her worries would be assuaged and she could sleep peacefully. But that thought was soon put to rest when the sound of her house phone ringing fills the silence in the room. Immediately her gaze darts to it and a feeling of dread washes over her. If it were Emma, she'd have called her cellphone. The landline was used mainly for emergencies and given the time of night; it was far too fitting.

With a short breath she slides out of bed and walks the quick six steps to the dresser where the phone sat perched, ringing out again for attention. A tanned hand slowly lifts it from the receiver and places it to her ear, "hello?" What Regina hears next renders her still and the corded phone falls to the floor.

The doors of the hospital burst open as Regina pushes through in a whirlwind. The sentence she heard just ten minutes ago playing in her head over and over again.

_There's been an accident..._

The mayor whizzes by the front desk and heads straight for the emergency room, ignoring the sounds of nurses trying to get her attention. She was in a fog of uncertainty as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Her slipper covered feet moved swiftly along the linoleum floor as she tried to find the room Emma was in.

_Head on collision..._

The bold red words reading Emergency came into view and Regina forced her way through the swinging doors.

_Too dark to see..._

Browns orbs dart around rapidly as she came to a fork in the hallway. Left or right. She had no idea which room her fiancée was in and if she didn't figure it out soon, she may be too late.

_The truck was out of control..._

There's a flash of white medical coats and blue scrubs that run to the left of the hall with a sense of urgency. Immediately the brunette follows suit, calling Emma's name. The doctors ahead of her are buzzed behind a set of doors and by the time Regina arrives behind them it locks. Shutting her off and condemning her to the outside. Two nurses run up from behind and take hold of pea coat covered arms.

"Madam mayor you can't be here," one of the nurses inform, trying to pull the frantic woman away, though Regina manages to get loose and runs up to the square window.

And then she sees it. The love of her life laying across a blood-stained stretcher with several doctors surrounding her body. Normally perfect ivory toned skin was now battered and covered in bruises. Those greenish blue eyes that Regina loves were hidden by swollen eyelids. She watched on with a shallow breath as every doctor worked in unison to stabilize the blonde. Orders were being shouted but Regina couldn't make out what was being said. But by the look on their faces it wasn't good. The small monitor beside the stretcher showed a jumping green line that would only move about a centimeter upward before falling down again. Each rise of that green dot seemed to take longer and longer.

'Heartrate's dropping, we got to move.' Comes the command of Dr. Whale and Regina feels her heart fall to her feet. One of the hospital guards had managed to catch word of the mayor and comes behind her to help usher the brunette away. But she fights to watch. She needed to see if life would be cruel enough to take a love this deep from her.

The sight of two rectangular hand-held devices is the next thing the mayor see's and her ears clog as if she had just jumped into a pool of water. It's through mumbled sound that she hears the doctor yelling for clearance and six pairs of gloved hands pull away from Emma's body. The pads of the defibrillator are pressed against the blonde's chest and Regina's ears open up again in time to witness the high-pitched charged sound of the electric shock machine.

Though the next thing the brunette hears makes her knees weak. That once jumping green line goes steady and the doctors charge the machine once more with extra voltage. Again, the metal pads are placed on Emma's chest, forcing her body to involuntarily buck upward. But to no avail. The monitor didn't move and a sullen look on the hospital staffs faces told her all she needed to know.

Dr. Whale looks up at the white clock at the top of the wall and releases a breath, 'time of death...5:43am.' Its then that he notices the distraught mayor through the window, a saddened expression across his face and Regina falls to her knees.

* * *

The clear blue sky was in complete contrast to the event that was being held today. The sun shined brightly against the white casket decorated with a bouquet of flowers being lowered into the ground. The entire town had come out for Emma's funeral. Each person sharing well wishes and their most fond memories of the blonde. As if it that would make things better.

Maybe for them it would, but Regina couldn't bring herself to say anything. The words had been lost in her throat a week ago during that fateful day her love was taken. The images she saw haunted her dreams. Waking her abruptly in the middle of the night, only to realize that the event had been real. And Emma was gone.

Yet standing there, in the middle of the grass field watching the casket lower out of sight, she couldn't bring herself to cry. Not there. If she allowed one tear to slip then she would break down fully again as she had just the night before. Her expression held a cold sadness. One too dangerous to realize at full potential or she creates the risk of cracking the thin shield of sanity she had left. It was the deepest sadness she's ever known.

A warm hand touches her shoulder then and she turns to see a tear-stricken Mary Margaret. The pixie haired woman was able to ball freely during the service. Regina would watch in envy. Jealous of the ability to fully let go and have someone catch her at the end. Mary Margaret had David.

Regina's safety net was Emma.

Neither woman spoke for a moment. One trying to find the right thing to say, while the other fought to hold herself together. "I'm so sorry, Regina," the pixie haired woman said then.

It did nothing to alleviate the brunette's sadness. Those very same words surrounded her ears from everyone she came across since the news of Emma's death came to surface. Was that all anyone could say? Was that all they knew? Being sorry wasn't going to bring her fiancée back.

Regina only sighed and sniffled lightly. The dam of her resolve breaking.

Mary Margaret spoke again, "If you ever need anything. Anything at all. I'm here for you."

That was what they all said. The mayor didn't expect for anyone to keep that promise. Eventually their sadness would fade and allow them to go back to normal. But there was no such thing as normal anymore for Regina. She'll never be the same after this. "Thank you." Her voice croaks out, cracking slightly.

It's with a nod that the other woman takes her leave; sensing that the mayor needed more time alone.

* * *

The drive back home had been the hardest in her life. A few tears managed to slip from auburn irises before she made it inside. The last of her strength dwindling to nothing. The moment she stepped inside the empty mayoral mansion Regina sank to the floor. Inhaling loudly just seconds before she cries aloud. Her whole body ached as it wracked with emotion. Chest bucking in agony. Her arms wrap around herself tightly, as if she would split apart if she let go. No matter how loudly she sobbed, the pain wouldn't ease. It only made her feel weighted to the floor. Like her limbs had been covered in cement that already dried.

Why hadn't she forced Emma to stay in bed? She should have gone with her. Maybe if she had driven none of this would have happened and her fiancée would be here. Holding her tight. She'd give her last breath to hear Emma say 'I love you' one more time.

It's well into the evening before Regina is able to lift herself from the floor. She had cried herself into exhaustion and slowly trudged towards the stairs. Though something catches her eyes and she pauses, the red candle placed in her peripheral vision. The unity candle was still lit.

Had she been letting it burn all this time?

The brunette takes a detour to the foyer and stands in front of the candle. The dancing flame mocked her with memories of her standing in that very same spot with Emma just a week ago. Her eyes go down to the wedding ring still on her finger. She didn't have the heart to take it off. Not yet.

A fresh string of tears floods her eyes and she sniffs before leaning forward. "I love you," she says in front of the candle and blows out the flame. A tanned hand runs through her hair as she steps back to return to her previous task of heading upstairs for bed. Maybe tonight she'd get lucky and have a dreamless slumber.

Once in her room, the brunette curls against Emma's pillow for comfort in hopes of just a few hours of rest. Yet unbeknownst to her, down in the foyer, sitting atop the mantle was the candle that lit itself again.

* * *

**I know, I know. But it doesn't end here. The next chapter will be up in a week. Please let me know what you guys think in your reviews. Until next time.**


	2. chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

The restless sleep that Regina had fallen into last night slowly made its way to an end when brown eyes popped open. Tan lids were swollen due to the river of tears she cried, the cover of her pillow sticking partly to her face from where it still laid damp. Her throat dry with sadness as a permanent lump seemed to have formed itself overnight. For just a few seconds she was blank. Forgetting everything that negatively plagued her soul. Though as soon as she lifted her head from the pillow and witnessed the empty spot beside her in bed where Emma would normally lay, it came rushing back. Crushing her like a two-ton weight on her chest. Immediately her eyes welled up again, stinging the partly cracked and dried corner of her eyes. She lifted her hand to swipe at the offending tears, the skin felt raw and tender under her touch.

Regina curled her form tighter around Emma's pillow, burying her face in it at an attempt to simultaneously hide from her feelings and reality. She wasn't ready to face the day again. It was too soon. The vision of her fiancée's white casket flooded to the forefront of her mind and caused a wave of pain between her ribs. Sniffling, she forced her eyes closed once more until sleep took her again.

An amount of time she didn't care to count passed before the mayor woke again. This time from an overwhelming need of water. Her normally plump lips were worn down from lack of hydration and she finally listened to the screaming internal need to at least drink something. Slowly, Regina sits up from her bed and tosses her feet over the edge. The tanned digits landing softly against the wooden floor before the rest of her sole touches.

Bare feet lead her down the stairs, ignoring the mirror that was nearby as she did so. She could only imagine how much of a wreck she looked and didn't want to be proved right by her own reflection. As she rounds the corner of the foyer, a dancing light catches her eye. The candle was lit once again. Unmanicured brows furrowed in confusion. She could have sworn she blew it out last night. Taking light steps, Regina walks up to the mantle and blows the candle out once more before turning to go into the kitchen.

She reaches up to grab a glass from the cabinet then turns to the refrigerator to get a pitcher of filtered water. The glass is filled half way before she brings it to her lips, drinking eagerly once the refreshing liquid touched her tongue. It quenched her thirst but did nothing to ease the soreness of her throat. That would have to heal with time.

The thought of tea brinks her mind and she abandons her previous task in hopes that something warm would help her get through for the day. Her eyes then land on the blue tea kettle sitting atop the stove and her heart clenches. Emma had brought it for her the first Christmas they shared together. Regina thought back to when the blonde handed her the poorly wrapped box with a lopsided bow on top. It was hideous, but it was so Emma. An unknown smile cracked at the corner of her mouth at the memory. She walked up to it and grabbed the handle, lifting it from its spot and began to fil it with water before placing it back and turning the knob to light a fire beneath it.

As she waited for the water to boil, the brunette looked thorough her cabinets again and laid eyes on Emma's coffee mug. Pulling it down from the shelf, she looked it over before placing her lips on the spot where the blonde would normally drink from. An image of her fiancée flashes in her mind again of Emma sitting at the table, eating breakfast and smiling in thanks for Regina preparing her favorite.

She should have done that more...

The whistle of the kettle knocks her from her thoughts and she quickly pads over to turn it off. Choosing an apple cider flavored tea, she places it into the mug and then pours the hot liquid over it. Regina only waits a few seconds for the color to turn before taking a sip. The heat soothed the sore muscles in the back of her throat, making the act of swallowing a less difficult and painful task. Sighing to herself, she takes the cup of tea with her as she walks out of the kitchen.

She's deep into her thoughts when the light stemming from the mantle catches her attention. She turns her head to see the candle was lit and her heart skipped a beat. This time she knew for a fact that she had blown it out. The brunette had just done it a few minutes ago. She was sure of it.

A low level of anxiety started to raise to the top as she stared at the cylinder tower of red wax. Maybe she was seeing things. A rush of cold air swirls around her body, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

_Regina..._

The voice sounded like a hushed whisper. The pupils of her brown eyes dilated at the sound. Had she heard correctly? The cold feeling stuck to her bones and left her paralyzed in place. Her mind scrambled with trying to make sense of what exactly was happening,

_Regina..._

There it was again, but louder this time. And Regina knew she heard it. She whipped around quickly, scanning the room for something, anything to make this make sense. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she looked from corner to corner of the foyer. The cool gust clings to neck and this time, the voice is right in her ear,

_You don't have to be alone..._

The sound is curling and the mug drops from her hands, crashing onto the floor. Desperetly she looks around but see's nothing. The creak of the closet door catches her attention. She stares at it, an eerie silence coating her from. The door slowly goes ajar, Regina takes a step back.

She couldn't look away. It was like something was pulling her.

The sound of a hanger clicks and a red leather jacket falls out of the closet and onto the floor. That was the last thing Regina could stomach before turning around and bolting out of the foyer. Immediately she runs up the stairs and into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Was this really happening? Had her mind slipped into a place she couldn't get out of?

_Regina..._

A chilling breeze started to fill the space in the room causing the brunette to sink down onto the floor, clutching her ears in desperation. Eyes closed tight, she brings her knees to her chest and tucks her chin into it. "Stop," she cries out in a stressed and ragged voice.

Stillness.

As if everything had suddenly paused and the world stopped spinning, warmth returned to the space around her once again.

* * *

The morning did not come easy and it showed all over Regina's appearance. Her eyes held dark swollen rings around them from lack of sleep. Short brown locks were casually clipped up into the back of her head and her clothes were slightly wrinkled. She forgoes the option of her normal wear and chose a simple pair of jeans and loose fitting shirt on her way to the farmers' market. Her mind played back the events of yesterday over and over again. Still wondering if it had truly happened or was just a figment of her imagination. A lucid dream. But it felt so real. If she didn't know any better, she'd think someone was talking directly into her ear. Yet there was no one in the house with her. There was no logical explanation to what happened other than her mind was simply playing tricks on her.

Regina had been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized she entered the outdoor farmers market, nearly walking into one of the stands. Clearing her mind as best she could, the brunette opened up the reusable bag and walked over to where the apples were. They were the only thing she could stomach right now. The thought of a full meal made her queasy and at least apples carried basic nutrition. Brown orbs scanned the fruit on display, picking through them one by one in order to find the best. In the lower right corner of the stand, laid an apple that shined just a little brighter than the rest. Tanned hands wrapped around it and picked it up for inspection. She turned it in her view and noticed something odd. Almost like it was moving.

Looking more intensely, she brings it closer to her face. Though what she saw next made her pause. Right there, on the red flesh of the apple was what she could have sworn was an image of Emma. Or at least her face. Unable to believe what she was seeing she kept looking, expecting for it to go away. Instead, the closed eyelids of Emma's face abruptly opened and stared right at Regina, forcing her to drop the apple to the ground. Her heart beat dangerously in her chest as she started to back up from the stand.

It was happening again.

A hand is felt on her shoulder and the mayor nearly jumps out of her skin at the contact.

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret says as she withdraws the hand and puts them both up as if she were talking to a spooked animal. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Relief is a welcomed feeling then. The brunette turns around to see the elementary teacher standing in front of her. This she could deal with. This she could see. She didn't have to fight her brain to find logic. Mary Margaret was real. Regina doesn't attempt to say anything just yet, she was still trying to calm down.

The pixie haired brunette took her time looking over the other woman. Noticing the obvious bags under her eyes and overall ragged appearance. It was something she never thought she'd see from the mayor. Regina always took pride in how she looked. And seeing her here like this now proved to Mary Margaret that the other woman was far worse than what she thought. "How have you been?" It was a simple question, but based on what she saw, she already knew the answer.

Regina released a calming breath as she tried to find her voice. The truth was that she couldn't even explain the mountain of emotions she was feeling. She was restless, tired and on edge. She felt broken and unstable all at the same time. How could she possibly put that into words? "I'm ok," Regina lied. Her eyes drifted towards the fruit that was still on the ground.

Seeing where the brunette's gaze landed, Mary Margaret bent down to pick it up and held it out towards Regina. The mayor visibly flinched at the sight, causing the shorter woman to frown. There was nothing wrong with the apple. At least not that she could see.

"I've...changed my mind," Regina states and starts to back away. "I have to go." Abandoning the conversation completely, the mayor turns on her heels to head back home.

Mary Margaret watched as the brunette all but runs the other way. She places the apple back where it belonged and pulled out her phone to call David. The line rings only twice before a masculine voice could be heard on the other side, "hey, can you meet me at granny's? I want to talk about Regina."

* * *

Regina kneeled on all fours, a dustpan in one hand and a floor brush in the other. She had returned home after her visit to the market and remembered that she never picked up the broken ceramic pieces of Emma's mug from last night. The remnants of tea had since dried and left a sticky patch on the floor. After sweeping everything up, she went into the kitchen to retrieve a wet paper towel to wipe the spot where the tea had spilled. She concentrated on her task, watching her hand move in a slow circle against the stain.

_Regina..._

The sound echoed against the walls, making the brunette still in place. 'No', she mused to herself. She wasn't going to let her mind get the best of her. The cold rush came back and Regina stood to her feet. She tried desperately to ignore the sound and headed up the stairs to her bathroom. This wasn't about to get the best of her. When she reached her destination, she stood in front of the porcelain sink and turned the knob that was labeled 'cold'. The water started to spill from the faucet. Olive toned hands cupped as much water as her palms could hold before bending over to douse her face in it. Maybe she was still just tired. She repeats the action one more time before standing upright and grabbing a white hand towel to dry her face.

She opens up the mirrored medicine cabinet door and looks through her options in search of relief. She had to have something in there that would help her get through whatever this was. Brown orbs land on the translucent orange medicine bottle, labeled 'sleep aid'. Maybe a full night's rest was what she needed. It couldn't hurt.

Putting the towel down she reached forward to pick up the bottle and presses down on the white top and turns to crack it open. Just as she closes the door back, she looks up and sees a reflection of Emma standing behind her.

Regina screams out in shock and fear, dropping the bottle in her hands. The sound of pills pitter-pattering across the floor as they bounced in different directions filled the room. She stepped back to get away from the sight but tripped over the small bottle and fell to the ground. Her palms pressing into the white marble floor behind her as she partly crab walked away from the sink.

_Regina..._

The voice swirled around her head in an echo. Her ears kissed with an icy gust.

_You don't have to be alone..._

"Stop!" Tears were in her eyes as she whined, "please."

And just like that, it was gone again. Regina remained on the floor, shivering in response to what had just happened. Her eyes down casted onto the floor. She brings her hands to her face, allowing herself to cry into them. Why was this happening?

She was so coiled in her experience that she hadn't noticed the writing on the mirror. It was as if the mirror had fogged and someone wrote on it with their finger. It held two simple words:

'It's me.'

* * *

**A/N: final chapter will be up next week. Until next time!**


	3. chapter 3

**A/N: Apologize for the delay. I was writing three fics at a time (in two different fandoms) and needed a moment to gather my thoughts. But I present to you the final chapter. Triggers still heavily apply. I hope you all enjoyed this short fic. And thank you for reading The Candle**

* * *

**Chapter 3.**

The atmosphere at granny's diner was eerily calm without the overcrowded bustle of customers. It was nearly empty, aside from Mary Margaret and a few others who sat at the bar. The weather outside was dreary. Gray skies and a slight mist of rain. It created somewhat of a light fog looming inches over the sidewalk. It seemed fitting for the kind of day Mary Margaret expected to have after recently deciding to check in on Regina. The mayor's behavior had stuck with her ever since she left the farmers market. Regina was jumpy and unsettled. She looked as if she hadn't had a peaceful rest in weeks. Mary Margaret sat back against the plush wall of the booth seat, thinking back to how Regina acted towards her. Something just wasn't right. There was a sick feeling in the pit of stomach that said she needed to check in on the other woman. Emma's death had obviously taken a toll on her and maybe someone reaching out more as a friend was what the mayor needed.

The light chime from above the entrance of the door catches the pixie haired brunette's attention and she gives a small smile after spotting David walking over. There's a look of concern on his features as he takes a seat across from her, wondering what made this particular meeting so important. Sure, he knew it had to do with Regina but the urgency in Mary Margaret's voice made it seem almost like an emergency. "Is everything okay?" He asks, wanting to quench his curiosity for all that he may have missed in the past few hours.

"Yes...well, I'm not sure." That was indeed true. She didn't really know what to make of what she saw today. But she couldn't fight the feeling that something wasn't quite right. "I saw Regina at the farmer's market today. She didn't look too good."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't put my finger on it. She just didn't seem like herself."

"I don't think anyone would if they went through what Regina has. Maybe she just needs more time?" It was easy to believe that anyone who gained and lost the love their life in a 24-hour time period would need more than a week and a half to heal. To David, it just appeared that what Mary Margaret saw was a natural stage of mourning. And he didn't want to overstep any boundaries that Regina may have silently set during this time.

"You're probably right. But...something inside me says otherwise. I would feel better if we went to check on her. I'd be happy to be proven wrong."

David sits in quietude for a moment before nodding his head. Perhaps checking in on the mayor wouldn't be too cumbersome. Especially with something like this. Worst case scenario, in his mind, was that Regina would simply just want to be left alone. "Ok, then let's go."

* * *

Time seemed more of an abstract thought to the still curled body sitting against the marble floor. Regina wasn't sure just how long she'd been in that spot since the voices stopped. Too scared to move. Afraid that if she altered her position by an inch, the voices would start all over again. What was happening? Had she lost it? Was Emma's death the last weight she could bare against the scale of sanity? Perhaps she should go to hospital. Check herself in before it gets worse or unintentionally cause harm to those around her. More importantly herself.

Brown orbs looked around the floor littered in the sleeping pills she dropped however long ago. At the very least she should pick them up. The small task might prove to be enough to quiet her rotting sense of external consciousness, until she can get out of the house and into the place she belonged. Or where she thought she belonged. It was disheartening to see how far she's fallen in such a short amount of time. Yes Emma was her world, but she didn't know that a loss like this would take such a toll on her mental state. Everyone grieved, mourned and reminisced differently. But this...this turned out to be more than just a crack in her armor. And she was willing to accept that. With everything that had happened, how could she deny it? She needed help.

Taking a deep breath, Regina finally willed herself from the spot on the bathroom floor. Her legs felt weak as they supported her weight after being curled in such an awkward position for so long. Tanned, shaky hands leaned against the porcelain sink as she tried to steady herself. Her stomach was in knots and she knew she had to look a mess. Slowly, those brown irises looked up to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror, but what was placed in her immediate vision made her heart leap in her throat.

The phrase 'it's me' was written along the mirror as if someone stood there and wrote it with their finger. "Impossible," Regina muttered to herself. She knew for a fact that she had been the only person in that bathroom, right? Clearly, she wasn't distraught enough to miss someone else being there with her, could she?

She stared at the small message for a bit longer. Somewhat trying to will it away with her mind. To prove that she hadn't completely lost it. That she wasn't beyond repair. But it didn't go away. Instead it almost seemed familiar. Like she's seen that same messy handwriting someplace before...

"Emma?" The mayor muses for just a second before completely throwing it out of any realm of possibility. Emma was gone and she wasn't ever coming back.

_Regina..._

The brunette's eyes wildly widened when she heard the voice again from behind her. Sounding as if someone were standing right near her ear. Cautiously she turned around, nearly unable to stop herself. As if she were being pulled by a strong magnetic force. And then she sees it, a bright yellow glowing figure in front of her eyes. It was transparent yet lucid. And... familiar.

Regina stares hard, incapable of looking away as the figure became more recognizable. It shifted and formed until a bright, see-through image of her deceased fiancee came into view. She tries to take a step back but is immediately stopped by the feel of the sink behind her. Trapped with her fears. Her body shook in response, stilled by terror. The eyes of this form of Emma looked directly at her, seemingly trying to get the brunette to understand something.

Though she couldn't understand, there wasn't an explanation for something like this. "No," she manages to mutter through a trembling breath, "You're dead. You can't be here." The figure's eyes almost seemed saddened by that statement.

_Come with me..._

The phrase is said in an echo. Almost as if she were in a large cave under water. Distorted and raspy. Emma's lips hadn't even moved, but Regina knew she heard it and remained silent.

_I can take you away... you don't have to be alone..._

Still the brunette is rendered speechless. Her brain finding it hard to comprehend just how this...thing was communicating with her. But her soul...that special place in her being, held only for Emma understood. As if that's what was being spoken to directly. Beyond the outer shell of her physical body.

Somehow, maybe because of the love in her heart and realizing that this was indeed a projection of her once future wife, Regina's able to speak, "Emma...I'm afraid." It was the first time she had actually admitted it aloud. Even in spiritual form...the blonde was able to bring peace to her trepidation.

A transparent golden illuminated hand reached forward, palm upward in invitation. _I love you... come with me..._

The budding cry Regina had been holding is suddenly forced out. Tears streaming down tired, strained features as she looked at what her fiancée had become. "I love you too." She says through a watery gaze, "I miss you so much."

Emma takes a gliding step forward, her hand still outstretched. _You don't have to be alone... come with me..._

Regina remained in place. Even if she wanted to run, she couldn't. The sink pressing against her lower back kept her there. Yet, a part of her didn't want to move. She needed to see this, whatever it was, all the way through. Emma was offering a way to stay connected. To be able to feel her love where ever she went. Fully and without pain. It was what she always wanted. "How?" She asks in a teary voice.

_Kiss me..._

* * *

David's truck rolled easily along the dark paved roads, Mary Margaret in the passenger seat. The shorter woman held a face of concern during the entire ride to Mifflin street. There was something that just constantly nagged at her. Like she wasn't acting fast enough. A sense of dread flooding her mind. Her hands sat against her lap, folded tightly, red at the finger tips from the strong grip she had on herself. She wondered how long Regina had been showing signs of needing help and how she missed it. But then again, how could she have known? The mayor had been holed up in her home since the funeral. Perhaps Mary Margaret just should have checked on Regina sooner.

A strong hand lays atop a pair of folded ones, causing the pixie haired brunette to look up at the owner. She's met with a compassionate smile from David who also gives the hands in his a slight squeeze.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he tries to reassure her and turns his attention back to the road.

"I hope so," she takes a cleansing breath and tries to ignore the gut instinct in her stomach as they slowly approach their destination.

Within a few more minutes the mayoral mansion regally planted at 108 Mifflin street came into view and the truck slowed to a stop. The two occupants remained in their seats, looking over the outer structure of the home for any signs of distress. The light to the bathroom in the upper right side of the house could be seen from where they sat. The black Mercedes Regina famously drove sat untouched in the driveway. At least they knew she was home.

"Everything looks normal from here," David states as he cuts off the car and starts to get out. "Let's just pop in to make sure she's okay and then we'll go."

Mary Margaret nodded as she made her way out of the car. Her eyes fixated on the white door that stood between two round columns. The pathway leading up to it felt heavy. The fog from the mist settling thickly in a trail leading up to the front door. Regardless of everything seeming normal on the outside, something still didn't sit right with her. The two of them walked through the thick patch of condensation until they were in front of the door. David taking the liberty of ringing the doorbell.

* * *

Regina still stood in her spot against the sink. The sound of the doorbell not reaching her ears. All of her attention was on Emma. The proposition that was just laid out to her swimming in her mind. If she did go with Emma, what did that mean?

 _Come with me..._ the figure speaks again, gliding forward just a bit more and for once Regina doesn't feel a chill in the air like before. In fact, it felt...warm. Like a ray of sun after standing too long in the shade. It felt welcoming and entrancing.

"You don't have to be alone."

The brunette audibly gasps then. That time, it sounded loud and clear. She knew that voice. Unmistakably Emma. Regina's feet were rooted to the ground as the soul of her fiancée comes closer. She doesn't run or flinch. She waits until Emma is close enough, giving permission to her heart and soul to make the choice for her. The warmth is inches from the brunette's face, paused, in need of a response. Her choice had to be based in unwavering faith that Emma was the one.

Regina's answer comes in the form of a firm kiss, Emma's own feeling surprisingly solid against hers. A deep feeling of heat consumed her body. The initial fear she had been living with melted to her feet; as an overwhelming feeling of comfort washed over her. Of a love that she had come to know over the years with Emma. She feels herself sinking, like the floor is slipping out from beneath her. But she couldn't let go.

Her arms wrap around Emma's shoulders to stay connected, committing herself to the choice of love. Purposely and dutifully choosing her soulmate. The light in the room brightens as their souls intertwine. Regina could feel herself growing lighter. The earthly tether keeping her grounded to this world becoming severed, stepping literally outside of herself. Her physical body falls to the floor with a loud thud and Regina feels freed.

She doesn't bother to look back; she knows what happened. Instead her eyes are boring into the green orbs that were clear as day to her now. The weight of Emma's arms is felt along her back and she rests her head against her soulmate's shoulder.

The two lovers then fading away from the confines of the bathroom.

* * *

Outside the door David and Mary Margaret stood waiting on the porch. The doorbell rang a few more times but there wasn't answer. At this point it was David who began to become suspicious. "Maybe she's in the sho-" A loud thud could be heard from where they waited, a look of panic instantly being shared between each other. Without any contemplation, other than the thought of Regina being in trouble, David starts to heavily kick the door. "Regina!" He shouts in hopes of getting an answer. But there wasn't one. So he does it again. Aiming his booted foot at the edge of the wood between the frame and the lock of the door. Over and over again until it cracks. He gathers one more breath and kicks at it one last time, the side of the door opening enough for him to then use his shoulder to force his way through.

"Regina!?" David yells once more once they're inside.

"Regina are you alright!?" Mary Margaret calls behind him but she knew to think otherwise. If the brunette was okay, she'd have certainly been down the stairs the moment she heard David kick her front door.

"I'll check upstairs where the light came from," the sandy haired man said in a hurry, taking off to bound the stairs two by two.

Mary Margaret waiting at the bottom near the foyer.

As David comes to the top of the stairs, his vision falls to the door of Regina's bedroom left ajar. Cautiously he steps forward, putting pressure on the wood with his hand to peek inside. There was nothing out of place bedsides the disheveled sheets against the king-sized bed. Blue eyes searched around the room for a clue, a sense of struggle...anything. Step by step he enters further until his gaze sets on a bare olive toned foot sticking out from the threshold. Immediately his heart dropped and he quickened his pace to the bathroom.

Though as soon as he could glance inside, the sight of Regina's lifeless body took over his senses. David falls to his knees, cradling the mayors head, trying to shake her awake. But it remained limp and hung carelessly to the side in his grasp. "No no no, Regina, what did you do?" He asked desperately while scanning his surroundings. His gaze soon lands on the scattered display of pills along the floor. His mind instantly going to the worst case scenario. The pill bottle wasn't too far and leaned over to pick it up, reading the words 'sleep aid' across the label.

"We're too late," came the soft voice of Mary Margaret standing at the opening, a hand over her mouth as tears fell from her eyes.

"No, call an ambulance," his voice is strained, trying desperately to find a pulse but failing greatly.

Mary Margaret knows they're too late. Regina's body was devoid of any sign of life. Those once vibrant brown eyes turned dull with twinges of gray. Still she pulls out her phone and calls for an ambulance. Accepting what she saw to be the unspoken truth of what happened.

It isn't until the EMT's have left with Regina's body that the two exit the now void mayoral mansion. Both parties still in disbelief of what they witnessed. As they stepped out on to the gray stone pathway, Mary Margaret felt a ray of sun light against her side that managed to peek its way through the clouds. She looks up in that direction and swears she see's something moving along the sky. Her gaze focuses harder, lingering in the spot until she sees it. A pair of hands conjoined together as two figures, looking unmistakably as Emma and Regina, walked together towards the sun.

"I didn't know Regina was feeling so..." David sighs from beside her. Unaware of what the woman was seeing., "You were right, we should have checked sooner," he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. HIs gaze down cast at his feet.

"No," She says with a new sense of calm, "I think she's happier now. Her and Emma will always be together." The clouds in the once gray sky dissipate, the sun shining brighter now and Mary Margaret smiles. "She's going to be okay."

Back in the foyer, sitting atop the mantle stood the red cylinder candle. The flame lit atop the white wick faded until it disappeared, leaving nothing but a trail of smoke in its wake.

Its purpose, having been served.

**_'Till death do us part is simply not true..._ **

**_Because even in death..._ **

**_My soul could not live without you..._ **


End file.
